Enabling high quality care

Data to Decisions (D2D) advancing primary care measurement

Improving and demonstrating the value of primary care

AFHTO members are guided by the Starfield Principles – focusing on the relationship with patients and the primary care team’s ability to deliver the care patients value. Its objective is to optimize quality, access and total health system cost of care for patients. Through Data to Decisions (D2D) and the quality improvement decision support (QIDS) program, AFHTO members are making strides to measure and improve the quality of care they deliver by:

Voluntarily participating in initiatives to advance measurement

  • Nearly two-thirds of AFHTO members participate in D2D. This gives insight into the care of close to 2 million Ontarians.
  • This voluntary approach has changed conversations around using performance data by framing measurement as a means to improving quality, not an end in itself.

Focusing on what matters to clinicians and patients

  • Evidence from D2D shows that quality can be measured according to what matters to patients, AND that higher quality in primary care is associated with lower costs to the health care system.
  • Focus groups with interprofessional health providers and patients provided valuable insight into the measures and next steps that will have the best effect on improving patient care.

Optimizing the use of EMRs for quality improvement

  • Standardized EMR queries are spreading beyond AFHTO member family health teams and nurse practitioner-led clinics to increase the use and usefulness of the data in EMRs.
  • Hundreds of clinicians across the province participate in EMR communities of practice to optimize the use of EMRs in team practice.

Continuing to advance measurement with Data to Decisions (D2D)

  • The next iteration of Data to Decisions will be released in Fall 2017.
  • See the Planning and Preparation page to learn how to participate and which steps your team should be taking now (members only).

These advances in measurement are capturing attention. AFHTO recently submitted nine abstracts to four major conferences – and all have been accepted. These presentations will be posted on the AFHTO website here.